Renato V. IOZZO – Opening Lecture...University Hospital and University of Oslo, Norway (2015 -->) & Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA (2013-2015), funded

MBE2016–Plenary&KeyNoteSpeakers

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RenatoV.IOZZO–OpeningLecture RenatoIozzoisTheGonzaloAponteProfessorofPathology,AnatomyandCellBiology,andProfessorofBiochemistryandMolecularBiologyatThomasJeffersonUniversity.Dr.IozzohasreceivedmanyawardsandanHonoraryDegreefromSemmelveisUniversity,Budapest,Hungary(2011).HewasthechairoftheGordonResearch

ConferenceonProteoglycansin2000,andPresidentofboththeInternationalandAmericanSocietiesforMatrixBiology.HeisEditor-in-ChiefofMatrixBiology.Hisresearchfocusesonthebiologyofproteoglycansandtheirrolesincancerandangiogenesis.Hehaspublishedover335peer-reviewedarticles,andhisworkhasreceivedover28,000citationsreachinganh-indexof95.


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JohnCOUCHMAN JohnCouchmanisaProfessorattheUniversityofCopenhagen,Denmark.HeisaffiliatedwiththeDepartmentofBiomedicalSciencesandtheBiotechResearch&InnovationCenter.HehasbeeninCopenhagensince2007,beforewhichhewasatImperialCollege,London(2001-7)andTheUniversityofAlabamaatBirmingham(1985-2001).

Hehasmaintainedalongstandinginterestincelladhesionandmigration,focusingmainlyonthecellsurfaceproteoglycansofthesyndecanfamily.Recentworkhasinvolveddetailedstudiesofsyndecansignalinganditsrelevancetothebehaviouroftumourcells.

KarlKADLER ProfessorofBiochemistry,UniversityofManchester,UK;HonoraryProfessorofMatrixBiology,UniversityofCopenhagen,Denmark;Director,WellcomeTrustCentreforCell-MatrixResearch,UniversityofManchester,UK.ThefocusofKarlKadler’slaboratoryistounderstandhowcellsbuildtissuescontainingcollagenfibrils.Using3Delectron

microscopy,hisgrouphasshownthattheassemblyofcollagenfibrilsbyembryonicfibroblastsoccursatspecialisedsitesontheplasmamembraneandthattheprocessisdependentonnon-myosinIIandtheactinomyosincontractilesystem.Inrecentworkhislaboratoryhasshownthatthecircadianclockregulatesthesecretionanddegradationofextracellularmatrixmacromolecules.


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François-XavierMAQUART François-XavierMaquart,isamemberoftheFrenchNationalAcademyofMedicine,isProfessorofBiochemistryandMolecularBiologyattheFacultyofMedicineoftheUniversityofReims-Champagne-Ardenne(France).HeistheDirectoroftheCentralLaboratoryofBiochemistryoftheReimsUniversityHospitalandoftheCNRSresearchunit

“ExtracellularMatrixandCellDynamics”(CNRSUMR7369)oftheUniversityofReims.PrMaquart’scurrentresearchconcernsthecontroloftumorcellinvasionbyextracellularmatrix.Heistheco-authorof6Biochemistrytextbooks,230publicationsindexedinthe“WebofSciences”,over50invitedlecturesand300communicationsinscientificmeetings.

AlbertoPASSI AlbertoPassiisFullprofessorinbiochemistrySchoolofMedicine,UniversityofInsubria,Varese,Italy,DeanofSchoolofBiotechniciansinMedicalSchool.Hisscientificinterestsarefocusedonmatrixbiologyandinparticularonproteoglycanandhyaluronanbiochemistry.Hislabhasseveralinternationalcollaborationsandobtainedfunds

particularlyforscientistsexchangefromEUprograms(FP7andHorizon2020).Authorof103peerreviewedpaperswithhindex27(Scopus,31GoogleScholar).EditorofJBiolChem(2011-2016),academiceditorofPLoSONE,associateeditorofConnectiveTissueResearch,editorofFrontiersinMembranePhysiologyandBiophysics.


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LilianaSCHAEFER LilianaSchaeferisaProfessorofPharmacologyatGoetheUniversity,Frankfurt/Main,Germany.SheisCouncilMemberandPresident-electoftheInternationalSocietyforMatrixBiology,PresidentoftheGermanSocietyforMatrixBiology,CouncilMemberoftheHistochemicalSociety,DeputyEditorofMatrixBiologyjournalandAssociateEditoroftheJournal

ofHistochemistry&Cytochemistry.Shehasinvestigatedtheroleofthetwosmallleucine-richproteoglycans(SLRPs),decorinandbiglycan,inacuteinflammation,innateimmunityandrenalfibrosis.Dr.SchaeferhasmadesignificantcontributionstothefieldofinnateimmunitybydiscoveringthatbothSLRPs,wheninsolubleforminthebloodandbodyfluids,canactasendogenous“danger”signalsandthusdirectlyinvolvedinmodulatingtheactivityofToll-likereceptors.

IritSAGI Prof.IritSagireceivedaPhDinbiophysics/bioinorganicsfromGeorgetownUniversity.ThenshereturnedtoIsraeltoperformpostdoctoralresearchinProf.AdaYonath’slabattheWeizmann Inst.ofScience.ShecontinuedherpostdoctoralstudiesattheMax-PlanckInst.inBerlin,returningtojoinWeizmannInst.in1998.Between2005-2006shewas

visitingprofessoratHarvardUniversityandatNovartisresearchinst.SheistheincumbentoftheMaurizioPontecorvoProfessorialChair.Shehasmorethan100publicationsinscientificjournalsandbooks.Prof.Sagiisdevelopingandapplyingunique,multidisciplinaryandbiophysicalapproachestoinvestigatetissueandextracellularremodelingmolecularprocesses.

AlexanderNYSTRÖM–RupertTimplAwardLecture Dr.AlexanderNyströmisagroupleaderintheDeptofDermatology,UniversityofFreiburg.HereceivedhisPhDfromLundUniversity,forworkonlamininsinthelaboratoryofthelateDr.PeterEkblom.HethendiditspostdocinDr.Iozzo’slab,ThomasJeffersonUniversity.Therehestudiedperlecaninangiogenesisandhelpedtoidentifyintegrin

α2β1asanendorepellin/perlecanreceptor,delineatingpartofitsdown-streamsignaling.HethenmovedtotheUniversityofFreiburg,andafterasecondpostdocinDr.L.Bruckner-Tuderman’slab,heestablishedhisowngroup.HisresearchfocusesondermalECM,withattentionontherapydevelopmentbasedoninsightsgainedfromuntanglingdiseasemechanismsinconnectivetissuedisorders.


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MartinJ.HUMPHRIES MartinHumphriesisProf.ofBiochemistryandVice-President&DeanintheFacultyofLifeSciencesattheUniversityofManchester.HecarriedoutpostdoctoralresearchattheHowardUniversityCancerCenter,Washington,D.C.andattheNationalCancerInstitute,Bethesda,MD.In1988,hewasawardedaWellcomeTrustSeniorResearchFellowshipand

returnedtoManchester.In1995,hewasaco-founderoftheWellcomeTrustCentreforCell-MatrixResearch.Hislaboratorystartedbyidentifyingmechanismsofadhesion-dependentgrowthcontrolandmelanomacelladhesionandmetastasis,progressedtostructure-functionanalysesofintegrinandsyndecanReceptors.Hiscurrentresearchisfocusedonthelinksbetweenstromalrigidity,adhesionsignallingandcellproliferationinpancreaticductaladenocarcinoma.

JoachimP.SPATZ Prof.Dr.JoachimP.Spatzobtainedin1996aPh.D.ofPhysicsfromtheDepartmentofOrganicChemistryIII–MacromolecularChemistry/UlmUniversity.ThenhemovedtoParis,InstCurie,forPostdoctoralresearch(1997-1998).HecamebacktoGermany(2000)asProfessorforBiophysicalChemistryatHeidelbergUniversity.From2004heisFull

ProfessorforBiophysicalChemistryatHeidelbergUniversity.During2002-2010heactedasAdjunctSeniorFacultyMemberatJacksonLab,Maine,USA.During2004-2015hewasDirectororActingDirectorinMaxPlanckInstforIntelligentSystemsinStuttgart.From2016heisDirectoroftheMaxPlanckInstituteforMedicalResearchinHeidelberg.Prof.Spatz‘sresearchhasbeenawardedfromtheMaxPlanckSociety,theAssociationoftheMetalIndustryBaden-WürttembergandtheWeizmannInstituteofScience,amongothers.


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ReinhardFÄSSLER ReinhardFässlerisDirectorandScientificMemberattheMaxPlanckInstituteofBiochemistry(since2001).HeobtainedhisPh.D.fromtheInstituteforGeneralandExperimentalPathology,UniversityofInnsbruck(1988).HedidpostdoctoralresearchatWhiteheadInstitute,Cambridge,USA(1988-1992).ByreturningtoEurope,heactedasResearchGroupLeaderinAustrianAcademyofSciences(1992-1993),inMax

PlanckInstituteofBiochemistry(1993-1998),andbecameProfessorandChairoftheDepartmentofExperimentalPathologyatLundUniversity(1998-2001).ForhisresearchR.FässlerhasbeenhonoredwiththeHermannundLillySchillingProfessorship(1995)andwiththeGöranGustafssonPrize(2001),amongotherawards.In2000hewaselectedmemberofEMBOandin2008hebecameacorrespondingmemberoftheAustrianAcademyofSciences.

JeremyEwanTURNBULL JeremyTurnbullistheJohnstonProfessorofBiochemistryattheUniversityofLiverpool,havingpreviouslyworkedatBirminghamand ManchesterUniversities.HisresearchinterestscoverthechemicalbiologyofcellsurfaceandmatrixHSPGsasdynamiccellregulators.Themajorfocusisusing

chemicalbiologyandglycomicstoolsandstrategiestoelucidatethestructure-functionrelationshipsofHSPGs,inparticularinthenervoussystemandneuraldiseases,cancer,andwithgrowinginterestsinstemcelldifferentiationandregenerativemedicine.Hehasdevelopedpioneeringchemicalandanalyticaltools.Hisresearchhasresultedinanumberofseminalcontributionstotheproteoglycanandrelatedresearchfields,withover128publicationsandanhfactorof45.


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ParaskeviHELDIN ParaskeviHeldinbelongstoLICRbeingGroupLeaderoftheMatrixBiologygroup.ShehasthetitleofProfessorinMatrixBiologyatUppsalaUniversityandbelongstoIMBIM.SheisSeniorInvestigatorandGroupHead,MatrixBiology,LudwigInstituteforCancerResearchandAdjunctProfessor,MatrixBiologyDept.MedicalBiochemistryandMicrobiology(IMBIM).Herresearchinterestsare:Elucidate

mechanismsthatregulatehyaluronansynthases;ElucidatemechanismofsignalingviathehyaluronanreceptorCD44ininflammationandcancer;Elucidatetheroleofhyaluronan-CD44interactionsforbreastcancerprogression.

IdaGjervoldLUNDE IdaGjervoldLunde,Norwegian,isapost-doctoralfellowattheInstituteforExperimentalMedicalResearch,OsloUniversityHospitalandUniversityofOslo,Norway(2015-->)&DepartmentofGenetics,HarvardMedicalSchool,Boston,MA(2013-2015),fundedbytheResearchCouncilofNorway.SheisfellowoftheEuropeanSocietyofCardiology.

Education:MScinmolecularbiologyandphysiology(2006)andPhDinmedicine(2012),UniversityofOslo,Norway.Mainresearchfieldisbasicsciencecardiologywithparticularfocusonmolecularmechanismsunderlyingdevelopmentofheartfailure,especiallyproteoglycans(syndecans,glypicansandsmallleucine-richproteoglycans(SLRPs))andtitin.

MauroSérgioGonçalvesPAVĀO MauroPavãoisAssociateProfessorofBiochemistryandChairoftheProgramofGlycobiologyoftheInst.ofMedicalBiochemistryattheRiodeJaneiroFederalUniversity.AfterreceivinghisPh.D.inMolecularBiology(1993),hehasworkedasanAssociateResearcherandAdjunctProfessorofBiochemistryfortheInst.ofBiomedicalSciences,Federal

UniversityofRiodeJaneiro.In1996hereceivedaPost-DoctoralFellowshiptoworkintheLaboratoryofDouglasTollefsen,WashingtonUniversity-SaintLouis.Hisresearchinterestsinclude:structureandpharmacologicaleffectsofuniquesulfatedGAGsisolatedfrommarineinvertebrates;roleofcellsurfaceHSPGsinmodulatinggrowthfactorsignalingintumorprogression,andthepossibleinhibitoryeffectofheparin-likeglycansonthiscomplexphenomenon.


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FrankZAUKE FrankZauckewastrainedinbiologyattheUniversityof

Karlsruhe,Germany.HeperformedhisdoctoralworkattheKarlsruheInstituteof Technology.In1998,hemovedtotheCenterforBiochemistryattheUniversityofColognewhereheinvestigatedthedifferentiationofchondrocytesindifferentculturesystems.In2001,hebecamean

independentgroupleaderandsincethenhismainresearchinterestisthestructureandassemblyoftheextracellularmatrixincartilage,withanincreasingfocusonininheriteddiseases.HisworkisfundedbytheCenterforMolecularMedicineCologne,theGermanResearchFoundationandtheEuropeanUnion.HeismemberoftheFaculty1000Medicine(CartilageBiologyandOsteoarthritisSection)andaboardmemberoftheGermanAcademicExchangeService(DAAD).

PaoloBONALDO PaoloBonaldoisfullprofessorofcellbiologyattheMedicalSchooloftheUniversityofPadova.HegraduatedwithhonorsinBScin1986andcarriedouthisPhDattheCRO-IRCCSNationalCancerCenter.HecompletedhiseducationasavisitingscientistattheMaxPlanckInstituteofBiophysicalChemistryinGermany.In2011,hewasawardedtheConte

Prizeforbasicresearchinthefieldofmyology.Heisauthorof132full-lengthpublicationsinpeer-reviewedjournals,includingNatureGeneticsandNatureMedicine.ThemainfocusofhisworkisthestudyoftheECMcomponentsindevelopmentanddisease.HisteamdevelopedseveralanimalmodelsfordifferentECMmolecules,anddemonstratedthatafailureoftheautophagicmachineryplaysakeypathogenicroleinmusculardystrophies,openingthewaytoclinicaltrials.

FabioQUONDAMATTEO FabioQuondamatteo,M.D.,isanAnatomistwithastronginterestandbackgroundinElectronMicroscopy.HeworkedinthefieldofAnatomyattheUniversitiesofGöttingenandofGalway,andsinceJanuary2016heholdsaChairinAnatomyattheUniversityofGlasgow.Hismainresearchinterestsarefocusedonstructural/functionalrelationsofthebiological

roleofBasementMembranesandECM,includingtheircellularinteractionsandsignalling,inparticular,inrelationtothestructureoftheskin.OtherscientificinterestsincludetheapplicationofGrossAnatomicalknowledgetothesolutionsofclinicalproblemsandtothedevelopmentofmedicaldevices.Hehasauthored/co-authored70papersandanh-indexof22.Hecollaboratesasarefereeforvariousjournals,andisanAssociateEditorforGene.


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YoshifumiITOH AfterreceivinghisMscinPharmaceuticalSciencesfromTokyoCollegeofPharmacy(1991),DrItohmovedtotheUniversityofKansasMedicalCenter,toworkwithProfHideakiNagase.Usinghisresearchoutcomes,hereceivedaPhDfromTokyoUniversityofPharmacyandLifeSciences,Japanin1996.In1997hebecameanAssistantProfessorin

ProfMotoharuSeiki'sdepartmentattheInst.ofMedicalSciences,UniversityofTokyo.In2001hemovedtotheKennedyInst.ofRheumatology,ImperialCollegeLondontorunhisownlabandrelocatedtoOxfordwhentheKennedyInst.joinedtheUniversityofOxford.Hismajorscientificinterestshavebeencenteredonmechanismsofcellularinvasionandtissuedestruction,especiallyintheaspectsofarthritisandcancerastheysharecommonmechanismsandpathways.

RalfSANDERSON Dr.SandersonreceivedhisPhDdegreeinCellBiologyin1986fromtheUniversityofAlabamaatBirmingham(UAB)followedbyapostdoctoralfellowshipinthelaboratoryofMertonBernfieldatStanfordUniversity.HejoinedthefacultyinPathologyattheUniversityofArkansasforMedicalSciencesin1989androsetotherankofProfessorin2000.He

joinedtheUABDepartmentofPathologyin2006,istheUABEndowedProfessorinCancerPathobiology,isco-leaderoftheCancerCellBiologyProgramoftheUABComprehensiveCancerCenterandaSeniorAssociateEditorofMatrixBiology.Hisresearchfocusesontheroleofheparanaseandsyndecan-1indrivingthegrowth,progressionandmetastasisofcancerandthedevelopmentofheparanaseinhibitorsasanti-cancertherapeutics.

DavidHulmes DavidHulmesreceivedhisPh.D.inMolecularBiophysicsfromtheUniversityofOxfordin1975.HethenworkedatEMBL,Grenoble,France,andHarvardMedicalSchool,Boston,beforetakingupappointmentsfirstattheUniversityofManchesterandthenat theUniversityofEdinburgh.In1996,hereturnedtoFrance,asResearchDirectorwiththeCNRSin

Lyon,wherehehassinceremained.Formostofhisresearchcareer,hehasworkedonbiophysicalandbiochemicalaspectsofextracellularmatrixproteins.HewasPresidentoftheInternationalSocietyofMatrixBiologyfrom2010to2012andisnowSecretary/TreasurerofISMBsince2013.


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SylvieRICARD-BLUM SylvieRicard-BlumhastrainedinBiochemistryattheUniversitiesofGrenobleandLyon.Hermajorresearchinterestsareinteractionnetworksandmultimolecularcomplexesformedinthepericellularandextracellularmatrix.ShehasdevelopedproteinandGAGarraystoscreeninteractionsbySPRIandhasbuiltaninteractiondatabase

focusedonECM(MatrixDB,http://matrixdb.univ-lyon1.fr/).Herlaboratoryiscurrently identifyingandcharacterizinginteractionsinvolvingmatricryptins,lysyloxidaseand membranecollagensinordertobuildandcontextualizethecorrespondinginteractionnetworksinhealthanddiseases.SheisaveryactivememberoftheFrenchSocietyforMatrixBiology,acurrentmemberoftheCounciloftheInternationalSocietyforMatrixBiologyandtheEditorialBoardofMatrixBiology.

SandraWILEYDr.SandraWileyreceivedherPhDfromRadboudUniversityinNijmegen,TheNetherlands.Shehasabroadinterestinsignaltransduction,withanemphasisonpathwaysthatimpingeupontheERandmitochondria.Recently,shehasbeenfocusedonnewfamiliesofkinasesinthesecretorypathwayandtheirimpactontheextracellularmatrixand

cancer.SheiscurrentlyaresearcherattheUniversityofCalifornia,SanDiegoinLaJolla,CA.

MartinGÖTTEHeisaProfessorforMedicalBiochemistryattheDepartmentofGynecologyandObstetricsoftheUniversityofMünster,Germany.HeobtainedhisPh.D.(Biochemistry)in1997.Since2003,heholdsatenuredpositionasheadoftheresearchlaboratoryoftheDepartmentofGynecologyandObstetricsofMünsterUniversity.Hismainareasofresearchcoveraspectsofmatrixpathobiochemistry,withastrongfocuson

theroleofcellsurfaceHSPGsandinterstitialDSPGs,aswellasGAGbiosyntheticenzymesinbreastcancerandinflammation.Heisamemberoftheeditorialboardsofseveralpeer-reviewjournals,andhehasservedasagrantreviewerforseveralinternationalorganizations.Dr.Göttehasauthoredmorethan100publicationsandhisworkhasbeencitedmorethan3800times(H-index=30).


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FrancescoRAMIREZDr.RamirezistheDr.AmyandJamesElsterProfessor,DepartmentofPharmacologyandSystemTherapeutics,IcahnSchoolofMedicineatMountSinaiinNewYork.Hegraduatedin1969fromtheUniversityofPalermo(doctoral

degreeinBiologicalSciences).AfterpostdoctoraltrainingatColumbiaUniversityonthemolecularcharacterizationofthalassemias,in1979hejoinedthefacultyofRutgersMedicalSchooltodefinetheunderlyingdefectsincollagen-relateddisorders.In1989,hejoinedtheMountSinaiSchoolofMedicinewhereheworkedonMarfansyndrometoidentifytheunderlyinggeneticdefectandtodemonstratethedirectinvolvementofextracellularmicrofibrilsinmodulatingTGFβandBMPbioavailability.CurrentresearcheffortfocusesonthemechanismsresponsibleformusculoskeletalandcardiovascularmanifestationsinmousemodelsofMarfansyndrome.

PeterFRIEDLPeterFriedlreceivedhisPh.D.degreefromtheMcGillUniversity,Montrealin1996.Since2007heisdirectingtheMicroscopicalImagingCentreoftheRadboudUniversityNijmegenMedicalCentre,Netherlandsandsince2011holds

ajoint-facultypositionattheUniversityofTexasMDAndersonCancerCenter,Houston.HisresearchinterestisinthedevelopmentofImagingstrategiestoidentifythemechanismsandplasticityofcellmigrationinimmuneregulationandcancermetastasis,withemphasisoncell-matrixadhesion,pericellularproteolysisandcell-cellcommunicationduringmigration.Hislaboratoryidentifiedcollectivecancercellinvasion,pathwaysdeterminingdiversityandplasticityofcellmigration,andthecontributionofmigrationpathwaystoimmunedefenseandcancerresistance.

BenjaminGEIGERProf.BenjaminGeigerfocusesonthemechanismsresponsibleforcommunicationbetweencells,bothnormalandcancerous.Heisattemptingtoidentifyandtracethespecificmoleculesinvolvedincelladhesionand

communication,andtoinvestigatethemoleculesandsignalingprocessesthatmediateandregulatesuchinteractions.Withhiscolleagues,heisinvestigatingmoleculardiversityofadhesioncomplexes,therolesofmechanicalforceinadhesiondevelopment,andtheroleofphosphorylationinregulatingcelladhesionandmigration,differentiationandsurvival.Prof.GeigerhasheldanumberofseniorpostsattheWeizmannInstitute.HechairedtheLifeScienceandMedicineSectionoftheIsraelScienceFoundation(ISF)(2003-2009),themajorfundingsourceforbasicresearchinIsrael,andsince2009,hasbeenservingasChairoftheISF’sAcademicBoard.


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GarryP.DUFFYGarryDuffyisagraduateinAnatomyfromtheNationalUniversityofIreland,Galway(2002).OncompletionofhisdegreehecarriedoutresearchforhisPhDintheareaofadultstemcelltherapeuticsforcardiovasculardiseaseintheRegenerativeMedicineInstituteinNUIG.In2006hemoved

toGeorgiaInstituteofTechnologytocarryoutresearchincardiovasculartissueengineeringandstemcellbiology(FulbrightScholarship).HejoinedtheAnatomyDepartmentasLecturerinJuly2008.HiscurrentresearchfocusingonstemcellandgenetherapiesforcardiovasculardiseaseisfundedbyEnterpriseIreland,theIrishHeartFoundationandtheHealthResearchBoard.HewasappointedasPrincipalInvestigatorintheTrinityCentreforBioengineeringinNovember2009.

JulieFRADETTE JulieFradetteisaFullProfessoratUniversitéLaval,departmentofSurgery,FacultyofMedicine.SheisaresearcherattheCentreLOEXdel’UniversitéLaval,attheresearchcenteroftheCHUdeQuébec-UniversitéLavalsince2005.Herresearchactivitiesfocusonadipose-derivedstem/stromalcells(ASCs)andtheiruseinregenerative

medicine.Herexpertiseencompassestissueengineeringofvariousconnectivetissues.HerpostdoctoraltrainingattheUniversityofPittsburghestablishedthatASCandadiposetissuecanbeusedforgenedeliveryusingherpes-basedviralvectors.Herresearchprogramisnowfocusedonhowhumanmesenchymalcell’spotentialscanbeharnessedfortissue/organreconstructionusingcellbased,scaffold-freestrategies.SheisthedirectoroftheThéCellnetworkforcellularandtissulartherapiesfortheprovinceofQuébec.

JohnWHITELOCKJohnWhitelockisafullProfessorattheUniversityofNewSouthWales,GraduateSchoolofBiomedicalEngineering,Sydney.Heisamemberof:InternationalSocietyforMatrixBiology,AmericanSocietyforMatrixBiology,AustralianandNewZealandSocietyforMatrixBiology(President)andAustralianSocietyforMedicalResearch.Hiscentralareaofresearchinterestfocusestotheregulationoftissue

repairandregenerationbyproteoglycans,involvinginteractionsbetweentheextracellularenvironmentthatbindsgrowthsignalsandguidescellandtissuebehavior.


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RashminC.SAVANIRashminSavaniisProfessorandWilliamBuchananChairinPediatrics,ChiefintheDivisionofNeonatal-PerinatalMedicine,andAssociateDirectoroftheCenterforPulmonaryandVascularBiologyattheUniversityofTexasSouthwesternMedicalCenter.Hiseducationstartedat

theUniversityofSheffieldMedicalSchoolinEngland,thenhemovedtoDukeUniversityMedicalCenterinNorthCarolinaforPediatrics,thereaftertotheUniversityofCincinnatiCollegeofMedicineandCincinnatiChildren’sHospitalinOhioforNeonatal-PerinatalMedicineandPulmonaryBiology.Moreover,hewastrainedinCellandMolecularBiologyattheManitobaInstituteofCellBiology(UniversityofManitoba)inCanada.

MadeleineDURBEEJMadeleineDurbeejisprofessorinMuscleBiologyatLundUniversity,Sweden.ShereceivedherPhDfromUppsalaUniversityanddidherpostdoctoralstudieswithKevinCampbellatHowardHughesMedicalInstitute(USA).Since2001shehasbeenheadingaresearchgroupthatstudies

laminin-deficientmusculardystrophiesaswellasothermusclediseases.

AntonellaFORLINOAntonellaForlinoisAssociateProfessorofBiochemistryattheDeptofMolecularMedicine,UnitofBiochemistry,UniversityofPavia.Herresearchactivityhadbeenfocusedonthemolecular,biochemical,andfunctionalstudyofgeneticdiseasesoftheconnectivetissue,inparticularlyOsteogenesisImperfecta(OI),DistrophycDysplasia(DTD)and

ProlidaseDeficiency(PD).ShedevelopedandcharacterizedtheknockinmurinemodelsforOIandDTDandsheidentifiedabonephenotypeinthemurinemodelofPD.Sheisnowinvolvedinacell/genetherapyprojectusingtheOImurinemodelsBrtlIVandcol1a2+/G610C.SherecentlystartedaD.Reriofacilitytogeneratezebrafishmodelsofskeletaldysplasiasandtostartdrugscreeningapproaches.


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RuudA.BANKRuudBankreceivedhisPh.D.in1993attheVrijeUniversiteit(Amsterdam).In1993hestartedasaresearchassociateatTNOQualityofLife(Leiden),whereheinvestigatedtheroleofthecollagennetworkinconnectivetissuediseases.Since2009heisafullprofessorinthefieldofMatrixBiologyandTissueRepairattheUniversityofGröningen.Heco-founded

in2000theDutchSocietyforMatrixBiology,andisaboardmemberoftheDutchSocietyforTissueEngineeringandBiomaterials.Hewasvice-presidentoftheDutchProgramforTissueEngineeringandissince2009thescientificco-directoroftheNetherlandsInstituteforRegenerativeMedicine.Hewasthefirstpresident(2012-2014)ofthefederation“MatrixBiologyEurope”.Hisresearchisfocussedoncell/matrixinteractions,oncollageninconnectivetissues,ontissueengineering,ontheforeignbodyreaction,andoncellularandmolecularmechanismsinvolvedinfibrosis.

AchilleasD.THEOCHARISAchilleasTheocharisisAssociateProfessorofBiochemistry&MolecularBiologyattheUniversityofPatras,Greece.HeismemberoftheHellenicSocietyofBiochemistryandMolecularBiology,AmericanSocietyofBiochemistryandMolecularBiologyandHellenicMatrixBiologySectionof

HSBMB.CurrentlyheisontheeditorialboardofMatrixBiology.Hisresearchinterestsarefocusedontheareaofmatrixpathobiochemistry,cellsignalingandmoleculartargeting.Heisco-authorin86publicationsinpeerreviewinternationaljournals.Hisworkiscitedmorethan2300timesandhasaH-indexof27.

KirsiJohannaRILLAKirsiRillareceivedherM.Sc.degreeincellbiologyfromtheUniversityofJyväskylä(1998).HerPh.D.projectintheTammiresearchgroupattheUniversityofEasternFinlandfocusedonintracellulartraffickingofhyaluronansynthasesandregulationoftheiractivity(2006).Thethesisworkledtothefindingofhyaluronan-dependentplasmamembraneprotrusionsthatactashyaluronanfactories.Shecurrently

worksasAcademyResearchFellowintheInstituteofBiomedicineintheUniversityofEasternFinland.Herspecificinterestisonconfocalmicroscopyandherresearchfocusisonbiogenesisofextracellularvesiclesandtheirrelationtohyaluronanmetabolism.


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DimitriosKLETSAS DimitrisKletsas,PhD,iscurrentlyResearchDirectorintheNationalCentreforScientificResearch“Demokritos”inAthens,andHeadoftheLaboratoryofCellProliferation&Ageing.Hisresearchinterestsincludecellularsenescenceandage-relatedpathologies,cancer,woundhealing,growthfactors,signalingpathways,extracellularmatrix homeostasis,bioactivemoleculesandnaturalproducts

andcellreplacementtherapy,andhehasmorethan150researcharticlesonthesetopics.

VincentC.HASCALL Hislabinvestigatesthemechanismsfortheaberrantintracellularsynthesisofhyaluronaninhyperglycemicdividingcellsandthesubsequentproductionofanextracellularmonocyte-adhesivematrix.Theseabnormalhyaluronanmatricesrecruitinflammatorycells,andtheirresponsesarecentralformostdiabeticpathologies,

includingdiabeticobesityandosteopeniaintrabecularbone.Collaborationswithhislabhavealsoshownthatthesemonocyte-adhesivehyaluronanmatricesareinvolvedinother pathologies:asthma,woundhealing,inflammatoryboweldisease,andcancer.

AnthonyJ.DAY ProfessorTonyDayhasbeenamemberoftheWellcomeTrustCentreforCell-MatrixBiologyinManchestersince2005.Tony’sresearchismostlyfocusedonprotein-GAGinteractionsinthecontextofinflammation,innateimmunityandovulation.Forexample,Tony’slabisinvestigatingtheroleofmatrixageingasacontributing

factortothepathogenesisofage-relatedmaculardegeneration,andisdevelopingabiologicaldrugbasedonthetissueprotectiveandanti-inflammatoryproteinTSG-6fortheuseinosteoarthritisandosteoporosis.TonyisafoundermemberandformertrusteeoftheInternationalSocietyofHyaluronanSciences,waselectedtothecounciloftheInternationalSocietyforMatrixBiologyin2016andwillactasChairoftheGordonResearchConferenceonProteoglycansin2018.Forfurtherdetailssee:http://www.wellcome-matrix.org/research_groups/tony-day.html

Documents

Renato V. IOZZO – Opening Lecture...University Hospital and University of Oslo, Norway (2015 -->) & Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA (2013-2015), funded